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(More customer reviews)This product was very cheap, and I'm actually pretty happy with the sound. However, I would not recommend it to anyone. I encountered multiple problems with installation and fitting of the product. The people who make this have obviously never actually installed one, or they just don't care that their product doesn't work for its intended application.
The first problem I had was with the uppipe. The included studs are longer than those on the factory UP, which I really didn't notice until I had already installed it (which involves taking the manifolds off and then jacking up the motor) and went to install the new downpipe. At this point I realized that the UP studs are actually so long that the DP cannot be installed (not even the gasket - that's how little clearance there was). As a result, I had to saw off the excess portion of the studs (with it installed - not an easy task).
With the studs cut down, I was finally able to bolt the DP up to the turbo... Only to find that, once again, there were some serious problems. If you are not familiar with the WRX downpipe, besides the five bolts on the turbo, it also has two brackets that attach it to the car to provide support. One bracket bolts into the side of the transmission, and the other attaches to a bracket that comes off near the back of the tranny (if I remember correctly). Neither of these brackets on the DP were even close to lining up. I realized at this point I was going to have to take it somewhere to have some welding done, but got the rest on the best I could so I could drive it (which involved vise grips to be able to bolt everything together).
I just picked the car up from the shop were I had the work done, and here's what he had to do:
- Replace both brackets on DP so that they actually can be attached
- Cut off and relocate both hangers on the muffler so that it hangs right and isn't jammed into the bumper
- Bend the tubing near the muffler so that it would hang better
- Weld in several inches of tubing because the whole thing was too short, making it hang so low it was almost dragging and exacerbating the problem of the muffler jammed into the bumper
- Rework the janky third hanger on the muffler. It comes un-attached and it is just a piece of rod with a super-thin strap on it that you wrap around the tube and then use a bolt to cinch it down. It is also about 4 inches too long. So I had it cut down and then had the rod just welded to the pipe
The other thing I was definitely disappointed with is how low it hangs - I'm anticipating that large speed bumps will be a problem, and I'm at stock ride height. Basically, the exhaust can't be tucked up into where the stocker was at all. There are almost no bends in the whole thing, which is good from a headloss standpoint, I suppose, but the lack of clearance sucks. The worst is where the resonator and the flex joint in the DP are - I haven't measured yet to see how much clearance there is, but it is probably 4 to 5 inches lower than the rest of the car there. I suppose this wouldn't be a problem on the track or if you only do driving on the pavement, but if you like to get your Subie dirty, I would definitely recommend going with something different.
Wish I had saved up for a Cobb (probably going to upgrade within the next year or two, and put this one in the trash were it belongs).
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